Today, more nuclear power plants are operable—and planned, proposed, or under construction—than were in March 2011 before the Fukushima accident. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, 58 reactors are currently being built around the world, with China, Russia, and India leading the nuclear resurgence. Even hydrocarbon-rich countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are taking steps to add nuclear reactors to their power generation fleets.

Although the drivers are in place for uranium demand to increase substantially, uranium prices continue to remain near decade lows—around $22/lb. Very few, if any, uranium mines can cover the costs of production at that price. As a result, very little investment has been made in uranium exploration and mining.

Amir Adnani, founder, president, and CEO of Uranium Energy Corp., spoke to POWER about the state of the nuclear industry. He suggested a national security crisis is looming in the U.S.